Fall Creek

Even though we did not see any wildlife at the William Finely nature reserve after advancing that hike to April 15 in hopes of seeing the migratory birds before leaving, (the date Fall Creek was originally offered) it turned out to be a good thing dates for the two hikes were switched. May 5 turned out to be a HOT day- a good one for a cool hike in the woods along fall creek. Advance sign ups go up - and down - and the final number of 9 participants on this event resulted in a relaxed group pace and feel. There was quite a bit of "blow down" on the trail from a recent windstorm, but aside from the bit of drama of clearing that off, everything else proceeded calmly with appreciative murmurs about the abundant new spring growth, and the timelessness of the water and the rapids. One new participant to our area and to hiking here (Karl Lockbaum) was delighted to discover the campground across the river. "They only let you stay for two weeks?" was his inquiry.

As to the trail itself, it appears "easy" with little overall elevation gain, but does offer some workout in the short, but sometimes steep grades- especially in the early stages of the in/out trail.

For the record keepers, "FYI," two participants on this trip with GPS devices came up with totals of 7.0 and 7.2 miles RT, as opposed to the 5.8 as listed in Bill Sullivan's guide.